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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers

The new exhibit ''Talk to Me'' at New York's Museum of Moden Art highlights ways objects and technology have become an integral part of communication.
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June U.S. manufacturing technology orders totaled $459.39 million according to AMT - The Association For Manufacturing Technology and AMTDA, the American Machine Tool Distributors’ Association. This total, as reported by companies participating in the USMTO program, was up 15.3% from May and up 91.

Which do you think of when you hear "state park"?
Both backpacking and fracking are associated with previously protected state lands. Ohio recently passed a bill legalizing drilling on all state land, including land that has been designated as a state park. Senate's approval of Bill 133 hit home for me as a native Ohioan who has spent a great deal of time enjoying the state's parks.

Stuttgart/London – Daimler AG and Rolls-Royce Group plc have acquired additional shares in Tognum AG equivalent to 0.83 percent of its equity. Upon completion of the public tender offer, the two companies will have acquired at least 95 percent of Tognum’s shares through their joint venture, Engine Holding GmbH.

STAMFORD, Conn. (AP) — Speaker and headphone maker Harman International Industries Inc. said Wednesday its fiscal fourth-quarter profit fell to a fraction of what it was a year ago on tough comparisons to a prior-year period boosted by a $115.4 million profit from discontinued operations.

ABERDEEN, Wash. (AP) — Little more than a low hum sounds from the tangle of steel pipes in the production area of the Imperium Grays Harbor biodiesel facility in Aberdeen, but the plant is churning around the clock.
Workers in bright safety vests hustled to direct trucks during a recent visit.

BRISTOL, Tenn. (AP) — Pharmaceutical company Pfizer Global Supply is ending manufacturing and logistics operations at its Bristol, Tenn., facility, but the plant will continue its commercial and support operations.
Pfizer is looking to consolidate plants after purchasing Bristol-based King Pharmaceuticals.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Employers posted more job openings in June and layoffs fell, a sign that hiring could improve a bit in the coming months.
The number of available jobs rose to 3.1 million, up from 3 million in May, the Labor Department said Wednesday. It was the highest total since March.

TEWKSBURY, Mass. (AP) — Defense contractor Raytheon Co. said Wednesday it received a $32.2 million contract from the U.S. Navy to design and develop a GPS-based system that coordinates a variety of systems on Navy ships.
The program will support real-time positioning, navigation, and timing data services, including weapons, combat systems, and other command, control, communications and intelligence systems, Raytheon said.

CNN's Debera Feyerick reports on a new technology being used by some law enforcement to ID people by their eyes. The iris scan is can be used much like a fingerprint, but reads 235 specific identifying marks in each eye.
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Nissan beats analysts' expectations by posting an operating profit of $2 billion for the April-June quarter and outlines aggressive China expansion plans to stay ahead of rivals.
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The debt debate may have hurt the U.S. global reputation, but analysts say America's standing is safe until something better comes along.
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A Texas man has invented a machine that can make drinkable water out of air. The "drought master" can make five to seven gallons of pure water in a day. Making a gallon only costs four cents in electrical charges and building one only takes two hours.
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Robotic seals help elderly tsunami victims in Japan recover from mental and emotional scars. Two seals were donated to the home by their Japanese manufacturer and normally cost around $155 US per month to lease. Residents say the seals help them feel safe and are good substitutes for live animals.
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SINGAPORE (AP) — Singapore Airlines Ltd. says it has ordered eight Boeing jets for $2.3 billion to help bolster expansion plans.
The carrier said in a statement Wednesday that the eight Boeing 777-300ERs are scheduled to be delivered in its 2013-2014 financial year and will be operated on medium- and long-haul routes.

GROTON, Conn. (AP) — The U.S. Navy's primary contractor for submarines says it will lay off 65 workers in October.
Spokesman Robert Hamilton said Tuesday the Groton (GRAH'-tun), Conn.-based Electric Boat company regularly reviews its workforce requirements. He says it informed workers Monday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Wholesale companies added more autos, machinery and computers to their stockpiles in June, pushing inventories up for the 18th consecutive month.
Sales at the wholesale level rose 0.6 percent in June, the Commerce department said Wednesday. That followed a 0.3 percent drop in May.

BEIJING (AP) — China's auto sales rose 6.7 percent in July but growth was well below the double-digit surge of the past two years, an industry group said Wednesday.
Some 1.01 million passenger cars were bought in July in the world's biggest auto market by vehicle sales, according to the government-authorized China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

BEIJING (AP) — China's first aircraft carrier swept through fog-shrouded waters Wednesday to open sea trials that underscore concerns about the country's growing military strength and its increasingly assertive claims over disputed territory.
The mission by the refurbished former Soviet carrier marks a first step in readying the craft for full deployment.

DETROIT (AP) — The top executive at General Motors Co. is having doubts about whether U.S. auto sales will recover this year as expected, even as the stock market rebounded a bit Tuesday from its huge losses.
Speaking to industry analysts about GM's long-term financial plans Tuesday, GM Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson said the company is sticking with its U.